Dynamic Changes in Rainfall Necessitate Efficient Rainwater Harvesting in Different Agro-Ecologies of Pakistan for Sustainable Development

Abstract

Changes in climate together with rapid urbanization are putting immense pressure on the existing agriculture and natural resources of South Asia. The agriculture productivity and livelihoods of a large number of communities have become highly vulnerable to inadequate supplies of water, especially in the rainfed regions. In the present study, spatio-temporal changes in rainfall patterns have been analyzed in different agro-ecologies of Pakistan during 1960-2019 period for sustainable agriculture and natural resource management in the country. Major agro-ecologies identified in the country were western dry mountains over 19.1% area, western dry plateau over 14.4% area, sandy desert over 14% area and northern irrigated plain over 11.3% area of the country. An increase of 30.6% in annual rainfall was observed in the rainfed plateau zone, 14.2% in the piedmont plain and 5.9% in the western dry mountain zone during the 1960-2019 period. In contrast, the rainfall exhibited a 3.2% decrease in the western dry plateau and 6.2% in the coastal zone which is critical for the subsistence agriculture in these arid ecologies. The excess rainwater may be conserved through developing storage/farm ponds and reservoirs for subsequent use during dry periods and recharging groundwater to build resilience against drought/flood conditions. The rainwater harvesting (RWH) has the potential to sustain agricultural productivity and fulfil the growing needs of the population in the arid ecologies of the country. Regular monitoring of the water resources is essential in the context of the rapidly changing environment and growing needs of the population in this arid region in future.